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SBRT treatment in the Southeast

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 4/25/2018 1:24 PM (GMT 0)
I received an inquiry yesterday from a man in Winston Salem, NC who has just been diagnosed. He is interested in Proton Treatment at UFPTI. I will of course give him feedback from my experience at UFPTI and suggest he join HW and read the newly diagnosed thread.

I want to suggest that he consider SBRT also. In addition to the insurance difficulties he’s likely to encounter at UFPTI since I don’t think he on Medicare yet, I believe if I were making the same decision today I’d seriously consider SBRT over Proton for a number of reasons.

As with any treatment, we all want the best doctors, technicians, and nurses we can get. This may be especially true for SBRT. If I were going for SBRT treatment I would start with a consultation with Dr King at UCLA. From what I have read here on HW he is the rock star of SBRT.

But not everyone on the East Coast is willing to fly across the country for treatment. Surely there must be other doctors now who have joined the ‘A’ list of doctors offering SBRT around the country. I see that UNC offers SBRT for prostate cancer. Do they make the ‘A’ list?
Posted 4/25/2018 1:42 PM (GMT 0)

hrpufnstuf said...

But not everyone on the East Coast is willing to fly across the country for treatment. Surely there must be other doctors now who have joined the ‘A’ list of doctors offering SBRT around the country. I see that UNC offers SBRT for prostate cancer. Do they make the ‘A’ list?

UNC - meh; Duke - outstanding....Google them. wink

While Chris King is outstanding, there are a multitude of excellent SBRT experienced radiologists all over the country. Your looking at top university hospitals is a smart move.

Midway through radiation, I'm beginning to suspect that the talent, motivation and experience of the radiation technologists is at least as critical as the reputation of the physician. Good luck!
Posted 4/25/2018 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
UNC - meh; Duke - outstanding....Google them. wink

I did Google Duke. nothing about SBRT.
Posted 4/25/2018 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
SBRT at Duke:

https://radonc.duke.edu/patient-care/treating-your-cancer/treatment-options/stereotatic-treatments-0
Posted 4/25/2018 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
Further away, but on the East coast, Georgetown U (Dr Collins; Washington DC) and Dr Katz in the NYC area have extensive backgrounds in SBRT for prostate cancer.
Posted 4/25/2018 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Many places offer SBRT, but not every one offers it for prostate cancer. Someone on HW had a good experience with UNC - maybe do a search.

The care that the RO takes in doing the plan is what's really important.

Garyi - I have never heard that the radiation tech is important for SBRT - why do you think so? My impression is that they really don't do very much. They check for a full bladder, and no rectum distention, and align the couch. The image guidance is automated, or should be.
Posted 4/25/2018 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
hrpufnstuf..... Dr. Debra Freeman at the Cyberknife Center of Tampa Bay. She and her team (Dr Freeman, her physicist, and tech) have been together for over 15 years. You can look her information up or email me through HW and I'll be glad to provide you with information from my experience.

Skip
Posted 4/25/2018 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
I had sbrt to femur met by Dr John Pablo at Lewis Cancer Center in Savannah GA . Mine was via IMRT but he also runs the cyber knife facility which is also used for high dose radiation. In addition, I believe Dr Dattoli in Sarasota now does SBRT with his IMRT machines. Both are great.
Bob
Posted 4/25/2018 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
I chose UNC-CH for SBRT. 3rd Treatment today. Last treatment tomorrow. So far so good.

Dr. Wang is my treating radiologist - Harvard Medical School, Harvard Internship, and MIT also as I recall.

Dr. Chen also does SBRT at UNC-CH. Harvard Medical School grad also.

I know that those types of credentials don't guarantee a good result, but do up your odds. Staff has been great also.

Go Heels. Beat Dook.
Posted 4/26/2018 12:26 AM (GMT 0)

Tall Allen said...


The care that the RO takes in doing the plan is what's really important.

Garyi - I have never heard that the radiation tech is important for SBRT - why do you think so? My impression is that they really don't do very much. They check for a full bladder, and no rectum distention, and align the couch. The image guidance is automated, or should be.

Allen, I said MY radiation, not SBRT:

“Midway through radiation, I'm beginning to suspect that the talent, motivation and experience of the radiation technologists is at least as critical as the reputation of the physician.”

The techniologists seem to do a lot, from making certain we are aligned exactly on the table to reading and analyzing the initial scans. I don’t know how much automated assistance they have, but it seems that if they screw up somehow, it could problematic. Their value has been emphasized to me by several RO’s. FWIW

Post Edited (garyi) : 4/25/2018 6:29:02 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/26/2018 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
You will not get an response for that Garyi...for the obvious reasons...its wearing thinner and thinner...hubris is its own reward...always...always...always...that's what perfection does...there is no where to go but down...patience...in time...out of time...at the same time...
Posted 4/26/2018 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
A simple...my error Garyi...and the universe explodes in joy...
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